


Sweet Suffering

by barbaXcarisi (barbaXbenson)



Series: Pleasure and Pain [1]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Developing Relationship, M/M, Smut, Soulmate - Shared Pain, and really it's not that much smut, smut with feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-07 21:22:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12849777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbaXbenson/pseuds/barbaXcarisi
Summary: Rafael’s soulmate was a klutz. Either that or, god forbid, he was one of those stupid guys who filmed stunts to put on the internet. Either way he was always injuring himself, and, in turn, injuring Rafael, and it was fucking annoying.It had started when Rafael was ten with just a little bump on the head, but they’d increased in frequency and severity as the years went by - bruised knees and scraped elbows to twisted ankles and broken bones. The wrist fracture had been especially fun to deal with when trying to take notes during law school.There’d been a few black eyes and busted lips, and the most interesting, and painful, of all, had been the penis sprain a few years back.Much to his relief things had been a little more calm as of late, with only the occasional stubbed toe or papercut, and Rafael wondered if his soulmate had finally calmed his daredevil ways. He could only hope. His old bones couldn’t take much more abuse.





	Sweet Suffering

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tobeconspicuous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobeconspicuous/gifts).



> tobeconspicuous asked me for a smutty soulmate AU so here it is. I'm posting this outside of my drabble/one shot collection because I already have an idea for an angsty follow up. :)

Rafael’s soulmate was a klutz. Either that or, god forbid, he was one of those stupid guys who filmed stunts to put on the internet. Either way he was always injuring himself, and, in turn, injuring Rafael, and it was fucking annoying.

It had started when Rafael was ten with just a little bump on the head, but they’d increased in frequency and severity as the years went by - bruised knees and scraped elbows to twisted ankles and broken bones. The wrist fracture had been especially fun to deal with when trying to take notes during law school.

There’d been a few black eyes and busted lips, and the most interesting, and painful, of all, had been the penis sprain a few years back. 

Much to his relief things had been a little more calm as of late, with only the occasional stubbed toe or papercut, and Rafael wondered if his soulmate had finally calmed his daredevil ways. He could only hope. His old bones couldn’t take much more abuse.

For his part, aside from the occasional migraine and frequently burning his tongue on coffee that was too hot, he had left his soulmate pretty much pain free. He didn’t think it was a fair trade and sometimes wondered if it was a desperate need for caffeine or revenge that had him so often drinking coffee before it had cooled enough to actually enjoy.

This was the thought on his mind as he walked into the 16th precinct, taking a hearty sip of scalding hot coffee as he greeted the desk sergeant before climbing onto the elevator. This morning it was definitely more caffeine related than vengeance.

He hadn’t even made it into the office yet that morning when he got a call from Olivia that they’d brought in a suspect on a string of rapes they’d been investigating for weeks now. As happy as he was that they’d finally caught a break, he found himself wondering, not for the first time, why they couldn’t ever seem to make arrests during proper business hours.

“Good morning.” He greeted Carisi, the only detective to be found in the squad room at the moment. Carisi’s only response was a tired grunt as he took a sip of coffee from his ridiculous United States Constitution mug. “Guess not.”

“Sorry,” Carisi said once he’d swallowed another gulp of coffee. “Pulled an all nighter waiting on this jerk to show up.” He went back to typing, filling out the requisite forms on the previous night’s stakeout and arrest.

It was then that Rafael noticed the shadows under exhausted blue eyes and he tried to squash the concern that welled up within him. It had been happening a lot lately, this unwelcome burden of worry. He’d barely slept the last time Liv had sent the detective undercover and last week when he’d walked into the squad room to find Carisi strapping on his kevlar vest - a sure sign that he was about to do something dangerous - his heart had nearly stopped.

He wasn’t an idiot, he knew what it meant, but it still annoyed him. Somehow Carisi had gone from an overeager pest to someone he cared about, someone whose mere presence in the room could make his heart beat just a little bit faster. And, from the teasing remarks that Rollins made to Carisi when she thought Barba couldn’t hear, it was possible that Carisi felt the same way about him.

But it didn’t matter because, while Rafael had no desire to ever come across his stuntman of a soulmate, somewhere out there was someone who felt every pain and injury that Sonny Carisi had ever endured, and eventually the two of them would meet and that would be it for Rafael. And he was pretty sure that the one thing more painful than never having Sonny at all would be to lose him.

So instead of cupping the detective’s face, and running a gentle thumb over the shadows that rested there, imploring him to get some rest and take care of himself, like he so wanted to do, Rafael pointed toward the interrogation rooms. “The jerk in question is in there I’m guessing?”

Carisi nodded, not looking up, and instead reaching for his coffee mug again.

Rafael had almost made it to Liv’s office when the sound of Carisi’s ceramic mug shattering on the floor had him turning back around.

“Dammit.” Sonny grumbled, jumping up to pick up the broken shards. “Stupid, sleep deprived…” He continued to mumble insults at himself until he hissed in pain, yanking his hand back as blood began to run down his palm.

Rafael’s eyes widened in shock when he felt the sting, unable to bring himself to look at his hand, but it didn’t matter, he felt the blood pooling there and starting to drip from his fingers. Still, when he finally held up his hand, an anguished noise sounded in his throat.

Sonny, who’d found some paper towels and was wrapping them around his hand, looked up at the sound and his eyes went wide when he saw the crimson staining Rafael’s palm. “How-“

“There you are.” Olivia said, opening her office door. “I’m glad you’re here. We need-“ She took in the sight of a bleeding Barba and huffed a resigned sigh. “He’s at it again, huh?” She knew all about his accident prone soulmate, having been present for a few of his injuries.

“Seems like it.” Rafael tried to keep his tone even.

“Let’s get the first aid kit.”

Sonny quickly put his injured hand behind his back as Olivia led Rafael past his desk to the break room, dropping his gaze to avoid looking at either of them and grateful that Olivia was too concerned with Rafael’s injury to notice the smashed mug on the ground.

* * *

 “Carisi!” Rafael knocked again on the apartment door, wondering if maybe the detective wasn’t actually home, or, worse yet, was avoiding him.

By the time Olivia had cleaned his wound and bandaged his hand to her satisfaction Sonny had been gone from his desk and his chair was still empty when he’d left for court an hour later.

He hadn’t planned on coming here, had in fact been on his way home for the evening, but every flex of his palm reminded him that Sonny was his soulmate and he found himself going in the opposite direction of his apartment.

Rafael was about to leave when he heard the sound of the deadbolt disengaging and his heart thumped nervously in his chest. What if all of Rollins’ teasing had been just that? What if all this time Carisi hadn’t had feelings for him at all? What if he was gravely disappointed to find out that his soulmate was a surly, prosecutor ten years his senior?

“Hey, sorry.” Sonny ran a hand over the back of his neck as he opened the door. “Liv sent me home to get some sleep and…” He trailed off, having seemed to finally wake up enough to remember that morning’s events.

Rafael took in the sight of him, blue eyes still hooded from sleep, hair sticking up in all directions, gray sweatpants barely clinging to narrow hips and a threadbare T-shirt leaving little to the imagination. He should feel bad for waking him up, but he couldn’t bring himself to, not when he got to see him like this.

“I think we should talk.” He said unnecessarily and Sonny nodded, holding the door open wider for him to pass through. “How’s your hand?” He asked lamely, glancing around the apartment, looking everywhere but at Sonny.

Sonny held up his left hand, wrapped in pristine white gauze. “It’s fine. How’s yours?”

“It’s okay.” Rafael shrugged, finally bringing his eyes up to look at him, surprised to find an amused smile on his lips. “What?”

“I’m, uh, I’m happy it’s you.”

“You are?” Rafael felt a mix of relief and joy flood his veins, but the question still came out unsure.

“Of course I am.” The smile grew and dimples deepened. “I’ve only been flirting with you for like ever.”

Rafael smirked, unable to stop himself. “Is that what you call that?”

Sonny just rolled his eyes, before suddenly looking nervous. “So, what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you happy...that it’s me?” The last part was barely audible.

“More than I probably should be.” He sighed, never able to fully cut out the snark. Sonny’s smile was blinding at Rafael’s words, his dimples in their full glory. Why anyone would be that happy to learn that they’d be stuck with Rafael for the rest of their life was beyond him, but he’d never complain at seeing that smile on Sonny’s face.

“So tell me,” he started when Sonny continued to just smile at him. “Were you an extra clumsy child or what because-“

He didn’t get to finish. Sonny closed the space between them, pressing his lips against Rafael’s, wrapping his good hand around the back of his neck and urging the other man’s lips open with his tongue.

Having those perfect pink lips on his was better than Rafael had imagined, and oh, he had imagined it. More times than he was willing to admit, even to himself. But as good as it was, he wanted more. He pushed Sonny back against the apartment door, feeling the sting of the contact on his own back, adding a whole other layer to the arousal that already coursed through him.

Rafael’s chest heaved, sucking in air as Sonny moved from his lips from Rafael’s mouth to his jaw and then his neck, peeling off Rafael’s navy trench coat, followed by his suit jacket, before working the buttons of his vest. “You wear too damn many clothes.” Sonny complained, shoving the vest off of his shoulders only to be greeted by a pair of gunmetal gray suspenders.

Rafael chuckled. “Next time I’ll make sure to wear my sweats and a t-shirt.” He touched the hem of Sonny’s t-shirt for emphasis, his fingers grazing smooth skin at bony hips.

Sonny grinned at the use of the words ‘next time’ and pushed off of the door, taking Rafael by the hand and pulling him down the short hallway toward the bedroom.

“Getting a little presumptuous aren’t we, Detective?” Rafael’s question had Sonny freezing in his tracks.

“I’m sorry.” Sonny turned to him, eyes wide. “I thought that-”

“I’m fucking with you, Carisi.” Rafael smirked, his tone teasing.

“Sonny.” The detective corrected, hoping the revelation that they were soulmates would finally be enough to get Rafael to call him by his preferred name.

The smirk fell and was replaced by something softer. “Sonny.”

His name on Rafael’s lips had Sonny’s pupils dilating with want and he pulled Rafael to him, crashing their lips together once more. He backed his way toward the bedroom, unbuttoning Rafael’s shirt as they went. It fell from his shoulders just as the back of his legs hit the bed, but he stayed upright, taking the opportunity to rid Sonny of his t-shirt.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Sonny’s toned chest and abdomen, unable to resist reaching out and running his hands over the smooth skin. He watched Sonny’s eyes go wide when he scraped his nails down his chest and the red marks that bloomed there appeared on Rafael’s skin as well.

He didn’t allow Sonny to marvel for long, rising up on his toes to kiss him hungrily, feeling the sting on his own lip when he roughly took Sonny’s bottom one between his teeth.

It was almost overwhelming, every scrape, pinch, and nip of skin felt on both bodies simultaneously as they explored and devoured one another. When Sonny worked him open, replacing his tongue with fingers, he moaned along with Rafael, riding the same fine line of pleasure and pain that Rafael felt. And when he slid inside him, moving ever faster and deeper at Rafael’s encouragement, the little twinges of pain that occurred too inconsistently to be expected were almost too much.

“Fuck, Sonny. Right there.” Rafael growled, when Sonny angled up to hit his prostate, and Sonny thought he might die right then and there. Whether it was from his name tearing like gravel from Rafael’s throat or the staggering waves of pleasure slamming through his body he wasn’t sure, all he knew was that it wasn’t possible to feel this good, to feel this much, and survive it.

Rafael felt his release building, starting all the way in his toes and working its way up. He gripped Sonny’s hips, fingers burying so deep that he felt it on his own, knowing they’d have a matching set of bruises, and that knowledge only worked to push him over the edge. His cock strained, then throbbed, untouched between them, shooting ribbons of come up and over his belly.

Sonny’s expression darkened, the knowledge that he could make Rafael come without laying a hand on him inciting him to an even faster rhythm.

“Yes. Jesus. Yes.” Rafael recited, a filthy prayer as Sonny continued to thrust within him. It wasn’t long before his hips stuttered, driving into Rafael one more time, staying there, cock throbbing as he came.

It was all he could do to pull out and throw the condom away before he collapsed next to Rafael on the bed, all of his limbs feeling like jello. “Incredible.” He finally managed, still breathing heavy.

Rafael rolled his head to the side, taking in the sight of Sonny’s soft and satiated body. “Yes, you are.”

Sonny grinned, never having expected Rafael to be such a sap, but enjoying it all the same. He scooted closer then, placing a loving kiss on Rafael’s lips, before taking his left hand in his, running his thumb lightly over the bandage. “This was totally worth breaking my favorite mug.”

Rafael chuckled. “It was a stupid mug anyway.”

* * *

A few days later Sonny strolled happily into the squad room, fighting the urge to whistle. As happy as he was that he and Rafael had finally found each other, with a little help from fate of course, he didn’t want the squad to get suspicious. They’d disclose eventually, filling out the necessary government forms in addition to filing the ones with the NYPD and DA’s office, but for now they were enjoying simply being together.

He stopped short when he reached his desk, a grin spreading across his face. There, in the middle of his desktop calendar, sat a brand new coffee mug, the full US Constitution displayed on its side, a bow on its handle.

“Secret admirer?” Rollins asked as Sonny picked up the mug, his smile growing ever wider when he saw the post it inside. _Maybe it’s not that stupid._

“Yeah.” He tucked the note in his pocket. “Something like that.”


End file.
